Campaigning against the government's distressing war on disabled benefit claimants. All posts represent the opinions of their respective authors and not WtB as a whole.

Monday, 23 April 2012

Across the pond

We all know that DLA and social care cuts are going to result in more disabled people being institutionalised. When the money to fund independent living is taken away you have no choice but to acquiesce to being banged up. Tonight's Panorama is one of many recent examples of how horrific institutionalisation is. Remember Winterbourne View?

Over here disabled people have almost no support from the mainstream in fighting the cuts that will ultimately result in more people being incarcerated in these places. The media campaign decrying all disabled people as faking scroungers being so pervasive; people are even less likely to stand alongside us than they ever were.

It's both exciting and saddening. Exciting that a Hollywood star is willing to stand up for disabled people's basic right to live outside of an institution. But saddening because you can guarantee that it'd never happen over here.

In the USA an adult with a physical disability is much more likely to be institutionalised than in the UK - if you are a quadriplegic and have substantial needs for assistance with personal care and you don't have money or there is no insurer liable, then in many cases the state will not pay for home care, and in others they will pay for some people's and not others'. American nursing homes are often hideous places for such people; there is little or no privacy (some people with spinal cord injuries have spoken of having their bowel evacuations done in front of their roommate). America is still 30 years behind us and the battles that were fought years ago here are still being fought there, which may explain Noah Wyle's actions. Here, they were substantially won, and we are now back-sliding and the majority of people do not realise.

Is it not time for the Crown Prosecution Service to “dust off” their rules on the common law offence of MISCONDUCT IN PUBLIC OFFICE which can carry life imprisonment. ( see: http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/l_to_o/misconduct_in_public_office/ )According to the CPS the offence is committed when:a public officer acting as suchwilfully neglects to perform his duty and/or wilfully misconducts himselfto such a degree as to amount to an abuse of the public’s trust in the office holderwithout reasonable excuse or justification.A reminder of the penalties before each vote in Parliament – Lords or Commons – might shake the corruption out of the system.

If it is felt this is a bit harsh then people should realise that the impact of the changes falls on those least able to protect themselves :1. The sick and disabled ( obviously)2. The poor3. The aged4. Carers – mainly women.